Freedom
by kensi54382
Summary: Three months after the dome came down, the people in Chester's Mill are free. Not that they know it. When an unwitting man walks across the border where the dome had been, it causes joy and happiness, and everyone flees to Westlake. In the chaos, two people are left behind, one being almost unconscious. What will happen now is up to them.
1. Chapter 1

"It's been a long day," sighed Linda as she sat at her desk. She had sent Junior home already and was talking to Barbie. "I'm so tired."

"What did you expect? You do everything by yourself. The deputies never show up anymore," said Barbie.

"I have you and Junior to help me with work."

"Three people against a whole town? It doesn't actually work Linda."

"You're right. Lets go. We need some sleep if we're going to do this again tomorrow." And with that, Linda stood up and left.

* * *

At home, Linda cried herself to sleep for what felt like the millionth time since the dome came down. She missed Rusty. She hadn't spoken to him since she had told him about his brother's death three months ago, and there had been several more visitor's days. It wasn't long before a pounding noise woke Linda from her restless sleep. She looked out of her bedroom window to find a large group of people running past her house. Barbie was banging on her front door, though she couldn't hear it over the rest of the noise.

"LINDA!" shouted Barbie.

Linda shot out of bed and ran down the stairs to open the door for Barbie. He looked like he had been running.

"What's going on?" asked Linda.

"The dome's gone! Let's go!" Barbie grabbed hold of Linda's hand and set off with Linda stumbling along behind him.

**A/N: I know this is a short chapter. The next one will be longer. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

Barbie found himself almost literally dragging Linda behind him. He had stopped when she had tripped, but she had gotten back up again.

"Barbie, stop, please," gasped Linda.

"What's wrong?" asked Barbie when he turned around.

"I... can't... breathe." Linda was bent over, gasping for air. Pain was coursing through her chest.

Barbie bent down next to Linda and helped her sit down. He flagged down a person that was passing them. "You work at the clinic, right?"

The woman nodded. "Nurse Adams. What's wrong with Linda?"

"She's having trouble breathing."

"I daresay she's been under a lot of stress lately. We can't risk staying here, just in case the dome comes back."

"She's not going to make it to Westlake. You need to help her now!"

"I can't. There's nothing at the clinic. I don't have anything with me. The closest hospital is in Westlake."

"Linda, if I carry you, do you think you'll be okay until we reach Westlake?"

Linda nodded, still gasping for air.

"Fine, lead the way." Barbie picked Linda up and followed Nurse Adams.

* * *

"Linda, stay with me!" shouted Barbie.

Linda's eyes fluttered open for a few seconds and then closed again. Barbie could tell that something was majorly wrong, but he had no idea of what that something was.

"I have an idea Barbie. That's Rusty, Linda's fiance. He might be able to keep her awake." The three of them had reached the outskirts of Chester's Mill, where people were greeting loved ones. "I'll get him."

"Linda, open your eyes. You're going to love the man you see, I promise," said Barbie.

"I want Rusty," whispered Linda.

"It is Rusty."

Linda didn't respond. Instead, Barbie noticed that her breathing had become shallow. Remembering the training he had done in first aid, he set Linda down on some nearby grass, turned her onto her side, and tried to get her to wake up. He was unsuccessful.

"Where's that nurse?" Frustrated, Barbie looked up to find a bewildered Rusty and Nurse Adams, standing on the outskirts of town. "Come back here! Linda needs you!"

Nurse Adams didn't seem to hear Barbie, but Rusty did. He came running, only to find that something stopped him. He reached out, and Barbie realised that the dome had come down again. He and Linda were the only ones inside the dome now. It was a mixed blessing. They wouldn't have to deal with anyone, but Barbie wasn't a doctor and didn't know how to treat Linda.


	3. Chapter 3

An idea struck Barbie. He stood up after checking that Linda was still breathing and headed to the dome's wall. Rusty was still there, but everyone else had left.

_Is Linda allergic to anything?_ he wrote.

Rusty shook his head. _She once had a panic attack and the doctor said that it had been brought on by stress._

_Do you know what to do if it happens again?_ Barbie's hope shot up.

_Yes. I'm a rescue firefighter. If you can, take her to the fire station. There's a syringe in every rescue firefighter's office with sedatives in it. Inject it into her arm, and make sure she rests. There's not much that can be done, other than letting it pass._

Barbie nodded and returned to Linda's side. He picked her up again and set off, looking for the fire station.

* * *

"Alright Linda, I know you're in pain. This should help," said Barbie. He injected the sedative into Linda and then sat down next to her. He watched her as she fell asleep, her breathing finally evening out. "I'll look after you Linda. I'll get you back to Rusty."

Barbie stood up and walked over to a computer. He was hoping that he would get some kind of signal, something that he could use to contact Rusty. He had a feeling that this second dome was done by the military, and he wanted answers.

"Barbie," whispered Linda from the couch.

Barbie walked over and bent down next to Linda. "Are you alright?"

"I'm sorry you got stuck again. You should've just left me."

"Not happening. I will not leave anyone behind if I can help it. We'll get you well again and then find a way out Linda."

"Are you sure?"

"Not really, but Rusty's waiting for you. You guys are meant to be together."

Linda smiled. "So are you and Julia."

Barbie laughed and checked Linda. She seemed to be okay, so he stood up and went back to the computer. The internet signal was weak but there, which Barbie took as a good sign. He logged onto a search engine and began making requests. Soon, he had the number for the Westlake hospital and he wrote it down, not wishing to lose anything important. Coughing soon caught Barbie's attention. He looked over at Linda to find that she was trying to get up. He jumped out of his chair and moved over to his friend.

"What's wrong Linda?"

"I need the bathroom. Can you help me up?"

Barbie picked Linda up and carried her over to a nearby bathroom. He put her down and sat down, waiting until she was ready to go back to the couch.

* * *

"This place is creepy without anyone in it," said Joey. He was a military official.

Samuel, Joey's partner, agreed. They had been looking through houses and buildings, making sure that no-one had gotten stuck inside the new dome. They military wanted to do tests on the town, and eventually irradiate it all. But they were under strict orders to make sure that Chester's Mill was empty. They couldn't risk deaths. So, Joey and Samuel had been given the task of ensuring that the town was empty, and they were currently checking the fire station.

"Hello!? Is anyone here?" called Samuel. "It feels weird to be calling out like this."

"Help!"

"What the hell was that?"

"I think someone is in here. Where are you?"

"Upstairs bathroom! Hurry, Linda's hurt!"

* * *

"Barbie," called Linda weakly. She had originally intended to wash her face to cool down, but she now found herself leaning over the toilet, dry retching.

"Linda, what's wrong?"

"Please Barbie, we have to get out of here now. I don't know what's going on, but this isn't right."

"Linda, you're burning up! Come on, I'll carry you out of here if I have too. We need to find a doctor."

"Wait, did you hear that Barbie?"

"Yeah I did. HELP! We're in the upstairs bathroom! You need to hurry, Linda's hurt!"

"I'm not hurt."

"If I say you aren't well, they might not come. We don't know who they are."

"Good point."

Pounding footsteps were coming up the stairs. Soon, Barbie and Linda could see two people in military uniforms. They were rushing up, and calling out at the same time.

"You need to get out of here, now. Come on, we'll take you to Westlake. Are you sure she's just hurt?" asked Joey.

"Yes. She's just warm in here, that's all," answered Barbie.

"Alright, let's go!"

Joey and Samuel led Barbie down the stairs and out to their car.

* * *

"Linda, stay with me!" said Barbie. They had been dropped off at the hospital in Westlake, and Linda was getting worse.

"Sir, what happened?" asked a nurse.

"I'm not sure. She's been unwell all night, but she's getting worse now."

"Has she taken anything?"

"No, but I did give her a sedative earlier. She was having a panic attack, and her fiance- he's a rescue firefighter- said that a sedative would help her calm down. Was that a mistake?"

"No. You were trying to help. This isn't your fault. Is she vaccinated against meningitis?"

"No. She caught about three months ago, but she got better after she was given an antibiotic. The vaccinations had run out by then."

"Alright. I'll run some tests, but it seems as though she may have caught it again. Are you vaccinated?"

"Yes."

The nurse nodded and left to run Linda's blood. Barbie sat down next to Linda, who was now lying in a hospital bed.

"We're out of there now Linda. Everything's going to be okay. Once I know what's wrong, I'll call Rusty. I promise that when you wake up, he'll be here."


	4. Chapter 4

"Thank you for everything you've done for Linda. I am so grateful Barbie," said Rusty.

Linda was still unconscious, though she was definitely on the mend. A doctor had come around earlier, given Linda medication and checked her. Linda's blood test results had confirmed that she had caught meningitis again. It had been more severe this time, since Linda had already been unwell and stressed out. Barbie had kept his promise and called Rusty the minute he had found out what was wrong with Linda. Rusty was extremely thankful and Barbie had the feeling that he and Rusty would make good friends.

"It's okay. Seriously. You should be with your fiance. I can tell you now, she's dying to see you. She's missed you. I've found her crying a few times when everyone has been out of earshot. And it's always the same. She cries about you," said Barbie.

"Come with me. Linda will want to thank you for helping her. She always wants to thank people, she's respectful."

"You should be alone. Linda has my number. If she wants to thank me, she can call."

"Don't be silly. Come on." Rusty took hold of Barbie's arm and dragged him to Linda's room.

* * *

**Two Days Later**

Linda started to stir. She felt like crap but she wanted to see if Barbie would keep his promise to her. She wanted her fiance. Opening her eyes, a smile immediately appeared on Linda's face. Rusty was there, talking with Barbie. She was glad they were getting along, she wanted them to be friends, especially since Barbie had saved her more than once.

"Rusty," whispered Linda.

Rusty turned his head and then jumped out of his seat to hug Linda. "Hey sleepy head, I missed you. It's about time you opened your eyes. We've been here for the last two days, waiting for you to wake up."

"Two days? But I remember Barbie trying to help me get to Westlake a few hours ago."

Barbie took one look at Linda's confused expression and smiled. "You've been unconscious since then. We're in Westlake, and you're in the hospital."

Linda looked around her in confusion. It was obvious that she was in a hospital room; the bare white walls and machines gave it away. And it was clear that she wasn't in Chester's Mill. They didn't have a hospital, and the clinic that served as a hospital was more cosy. She was getting more confused by the second.

"Relax Linda," said Rusty. "The doctor said you'll be okay."

"What happened?"

"You caught meningitis again. Barbie said that most of the town got it three months ago. The doctor said that once you get better, he'll give you the vaccination so you won't get sick again."

"How did I get sick this time? There was no-one around."

"Apparently you weren't completely better last time. It was brought on by stress."

Linda stopped listening when a man in a white coat came into the room. He smiled at Linda, and the two guys next to her said hello to him. Linda guessed that this guy was her doctor, and, judging by Rusty's reaction, he was trustworthy.

"Hi Linda, I'm Doctor Smith. How are you feeling?"

"Like crap. My head's pounding."

"Do you feel sick?"

"No. I am tired though."

"Get some rest then, I'll give you something for the headache. Your last blood test came up clean, so you are better, but I want to keep you here another day to be safe. Before you leave, I'll give you the vaccination against meningitis, and hopefully, I won't see you here again."

"That sounds good. Thank you."

* * *

"Hey Barbie, how is everything?" asked Linda, pushing herself into a seated position in bed.

"Alright. It turns out that the second dome was put there by the military. They want to do some kind of experiment with Chester's Mill, to see what caused the first dome."

"How did the first one disappear?"

"I don't know. Honestly, I don't actually care either, I just want to go home."

"Where is home? And why haven't you gone then?"

"I haven't gone because you aren't well yet. Home is in LA."

"You're far from home then. Is that because of work?"

"Yeah. I go where they send me."

"Not anymore. If you stay here, then you can always come and work with me. There will always be a position for you. And you don't need to worry about me. Rusty's here, and he'll look out for me."

"You're sweet, you know that? I know that Rusty will look after you Linda, but you are my friend, and that means that I'm going to make sure you stay okay."

Linda smiled happily. She wasn't sure how many people were going to trust her now that they weren't depending on her for anything, but knowing that Barbie liked and trusted her gave her a good feeling. "Thank you Barbie."

"No problem. Now, I know that you want to know about Julia and I. Julia found her husband, he's dead. She asked me out, so I accepted. I told her that once she had grieved, we could do whatever she wanted."

"You're an idiot, you know that right? Julia wants you to help her through her husband's death. She got close to you when she found out that he had run away. You made her feel better, and that won't change. The two of you are meant to be together."

Barbie laughed at Linda for that. He knew she was right, but he found it funny when she couldn't see that Rusty was trying to get closer to her. When Linda had fallen asleep after speaking to the doctor, Rusty had shown Barbie the ring that he was going to give Linda on their wedding day. It was a lovely ring, and he knew that Linda was going to love it. But, he wasn't going to ruin the surprise. He wanted Linda to see it herself.

"Don't laugh at me," pouted Linda.

"Sorry, I didn't mean anything by it. It's just, you're so observant when it comes to everyone else, but you are extremely oblivious to your own relationship with Rusty."

"What do you mean?"

Barbie opened his mouth but then thought better of it. If he said anything, he would most likely tell her about Rusty's surprise, and he definitely did not want to do that.

"Nothing Linda. So, are you ready to go home in the morning?"

"Yep. Rusty's picking me up, and then we're going to Chester's Mill, to see if we can find out anything about that bloody dome."

"Good luck with that. Maybe you should just rest here, in Westlake, for a while."

"Maybe... we'll see. Let me know if you want the job, okay?"

"Sure. See you tomorrow."

"Bye."


	5. Chapter 5

Linda stretched out on the couch in the lounge room at Rusty's parents' home. Mrs Denton had forced Linda to stay on the couch under a blanket, since she had just left the hospital that morning. Arguments were futile, and Linda had eventually agreed. Rusty was back at work in Westlake, having been taken on full time until they could return to Chester's Mill. Linda was going to work with the Westlake Police Department when she was well enough to, but that was still a few days away. Until then, Linda knew that Rusty's parents would do everything they could to keep her safe, whether she wanted them to or not.

"Here you go Linda," said Mrs Denton. She placed a tray with lunch on it onto the coffee table near the couch.

"Thank you." Linda sat up, making room for her soon-to-be mother-in-law to sit next to her. The girls got along well, and Mrs Denton provided the motherly figure that Linda was lacking in her life.

* * *

After lunch, the two girls sat talking for a while. Linda managed to convince Mrs Denton that it would be okay when she went to Chester's Mill the next day since Rusty would be with her. In actual fact, Linda was terrified that she would be stuck under a third dome, since Barbie had called to say that the second one had been lifted, and the town had been cleared. Returning would take a few days, but everyone was happy to be going home. Rusty was going to stay in Chester's Mill the next day to work, and, although Barbie had offered to take care of everything for her, Linda was going to stay too. She wanted to go back to work.

* * *

"Ready Linda?" asked Rusty. Barbie had called to say that he was waiting at the station for Linda, so that was where the two currently were parked.

"Yep. I'll see you tonight?"

"Definitely Linda. Be careful. And, just to be safe, stay with Barbie. He seems to be saving you a lot, so you should be fine with him."

Linda laughed, filling the car with a delightful sound. Rusty was so glad that he had Linda back and he intended to make the most of their time together. They were going to be married the following week, and their lives had returned to normal.

**THE END**


End file.
